Brake mechanism



Dec. 31, 1929. J. F. ocoNNoR 1,741,647

BRAKE: MEcHANIsu Filed Feb. 15, 1926 W Ey Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y JOI-IN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. H. MINER, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE BRAKE MECHANISM Application` filed February 15, 1926. Serial No. 88,193.

rlhis invention relates to brake mechanisms.

An object of the invention is to provide a hand brake for railway cars and other vehicles having means for quickly taking up the slack in the brake chain, and thereafter automatically increasing the leverage ratio pull upon the brake chain during the final application of the brake.

Other' and further objects of the invention will more fully appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings, F ig. 1 is a fragmentary end elevation of a railway car showing` my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the invention, taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and showing parts of the mechanism in top plan. F ig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view ltaken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, also showing part-s of the mechanism in top plan. And Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the brake rod and pulley showing the double ended chain looped thereover and connected to parts of the brake mechanism illustrated in section. Fig. 5 is a top plan with staff in section.

Referring to the drawings, indicates the end sill of the railway car or other portion of 'the car structure, and 11 indicates the brake platform. Extending through the platform is the usual driving stad or mast 12, said staff being provided with a ratchet wheel 13 above the platform 11, with a pawl 14 pivotally Y mounted on the platform and adapted to en gage the ratchet wheel 13 in the usual manner. A hand wheel 15 is mounted on the upper end of the brake staff to be used for imparting rotation thereto.

The brake staff 12 extends downwardly through a bracket 16 secured to the end sill and is rotatively mounted therein, the lower portion of the staff below the bracket 16 hav ing a pinion 17 affixed thereto. Said pinion is adapted to mesh with the upper teeth of an internal ring gear member 18, which is mounted to turn about a shaft 19, which is connected to the support and extends downwardly therefrom. Mounted on the shaft. 19 below the ring gear member 18 is tween the same, is a rotatable element providing a winding drum 26, said winding drum having an ear 27 thereon to which one end of a brake chain 28 is connected, said chain extending over a pulley 29 rotatably mounted on the brake rod 30, said chain being doubled back, as indicated at 31, and connected to an extension 32 formed on the outer end of the lower arm 22. The step 25 is pro- `vided with a stop 33 against which the lower arm 22 is adapted to normally abut and restrain swinging movement thereof toward the brake rod.v The upper end of the winding drum isprovided with gear 34 adapted to mesh with the lower teeth 35 of the ring gear member 18.

In operation assuming that the brake chain is slack, the pull upon the two ends of the brake chain by the pull rod is sufficient to hold the lower arm 22 against the stop 33. Upon rotation of the hand wheel 15 in a clockwise direction, similar rotation of course will be imparted tothe staff 12, which in turn effects rotation of the pinion 17. The pinion 17 meshing with the upper teeth of the gear member 18, causes rotation of the gear member 18 about its axis. Rotation of the gear member 18 is transmitted to the pinion 34 mounted upon the winding drum 26, which effects rotation of said drum about its axis to take up the slack in the brake rigging. Vhen a predetermined resistance is reached` the parts begin to bind due to the increased tension thereon, increasing the frictional resistance to such an extent that the winding drum 26 ceases to turn upon its own axis7 and further rotation of the gear member 18 carries the winding drum 26 therewith, causing swinging of the arms of the cylindrical member 21 in a clock Wise direction, until the portion 28 of the brake chain comes into engagement with the cylindrical portion thereo'l', the oii'set 23 providing for lateral movement of the lower leg` 3l of the brake chain beyond the plane of the surface of the cylindrical portion, ritter the leg 28 of the ch ain has come into contact with the cylindrical member 2l, it will 'be appreciated that further take-up o1 the chain is only at a speed co-incident with the rotation ot the cylidrical member, which is very small resulting in a much slower movement with greatly increased power. The angle through which the member 21 turns, in operation, after the slack is taken up, is necessarily small, probably less than a revolution, due to the small distance the rigging will move after the slack is taken up and the shoes begin to approach the wheels.

l/vlhile I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, the same is merely illustrative, and I contemplate all changes and modilications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I cla-im:

1. In a. hand brake, the combination with a driving mast, and brake rod, said mast being provided with a driving pinion thereon; ot a ring gear rotatably mounted on an axis offset relative to the axis of said mast, said ring gear having engagement with said driving pinion and adapted to be driven thereby; an element mounted "for rotation co-axially with said ring gear and being provided with radial extensions; a second element mounted for rotation on its axis upon said extensions, adjacent the ends thereof, said second element being provided with a pinion meshing. with the teeth of said ring gear ,f a brake chain having` an intermediate portion connected to said brake rod, one end of said chain being connected to said radial extensions, and the other end to said second rotatable element;` and stop means adapted to limit movement of said eX- tensions toward said brake rod.

2. In a hand brake mechanism, the combination with winding means comprising two winding elements rotatable about individual axes, off-set with respect to each other, one of said elements being a supporting element and having means upon which the other element is supported; oi' a brake-rod; a Chain looped and movably connected intermediate its ends to said brake rod, one end of said bra-ke chain being connected to the means oi the supporting element upon which the supported element is mounted, and the other of said ends being connected to the supported element; and means mounted to rotate about the axis of the supporting element for rotating said supported element about its axis to wind the chain thereon to take up slack in the brake rigging, and eiect bodily movement therewith of said supported element about the axis of the supporting element upon the resistance to winding increasing to an extent to arrest rotation of said supported element about its axis, thereby carrying the means upon which said supported element is mounted therewith and etlectino` rotation of the supporting element about its axis to wind said brake chain thereon.

3. In a hand brake, the combination with a rotatable winding element provided with a pair ot spaced laterally extending arms; of a second winding element rotatably mounted adj acent the tree ends ot' the arms of said iirst element, said second element being movable in an orbital path about the axis of the irst element during one phase of operation, and being rotatable about its own individual axis in another phase of operation; a brake-chain connected to said second element and adapted to be wound thereon when rotated about its individual axis, and adapted to be wound upon said iirst element during orbital movement ot said second clement about the axis of said first element; and means for effecting rotation of second element about its individual axis or orbital movement about the axis ot said first element, dependent upon dierent degrees of tension in the bralre chain.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day ot' February, 1926.

JOHN I". OCONNOR. 

